John 1:1-18

"The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world."

The beginning of the gospel of John affirms that Jesus Christ is the word made flesh, the word that was with God in the beginning, and the word that was God. This true light came into the world, but was rejected by the world. Those who received this word, however, were given the power to become "children of God," who are born not of flesh and blood but of God. (v. 12) The law was given by Moses, the gospel of John acknowledges, but "grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (v. 17)

Grace and truth are Greek concepts, which do not appear in the Hebrew scriptures. The gospel of John uses these Greek ideas to translate the Jewish hope for a Messiah into an affirmation of faith that will speak especially to Jews who have been trained in Greek literature and thought. The God who spoke through Moses is now speaking through Jesus, and also through the gospel of John that was written for Greek-speaking Jews. The power of this gospel is evident in the way that it continues to speak to us today, in English, even though we know little about either Jewish or Greek culture.

Grace and peace...Bob